The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-08-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

many readers.
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Inc Latest Studies ON Indian Reserva-
tons. By ]. B. Harrison. Mr. Harrison
has waitten book Of two hundred and thir-
ty pages upon the above title, based upon his
own experience among our savage tribes.
We give them the specific name Savage" in
contradistinction to civilized. as desig-
mating term; for some of these tribes have
made good advances, while others have been
benefited but little by the efforts made in
their behalf. Mr.. Harrison himself says in
general way:
No Indian that have seen has any idea of
civilization, or of the responsibilities and
| perlls which 1t involves. 1t is not likely
that any training. or preparation that we
shall be able to give then, will ever enable
many of the Indians to endure successfully
direct and unshielded contact with the civilf-
cation OF the present time. Our modern life
is too intense and complex for them: its
competition and selfishness are far too fierce.
ana too thoroughly organized and trained,
ior nature so simple and sincere as the In
dams. His natural character, so far as
have had opportunity Of observing it, has too
much OF the moral element in it for him to
De able long TO maintain his ground in the
STATE OF war which in so great degree con-
stitutes the substance and current practical
experience OF our civilization.
After Mr.. Harrison's early visits to the
schools at Carlisle and Hampton, he made an
extended trip, lasting six months, to all the
Indian reservations, and it is mainly upon
| this examination that he bases MS report
me first part of the book consists of descrip-
tive notes of the various reservations visited,
and Mr. Harriaan
and Intelligent use of his time He gives us
some information regarding the Indians that
is valuable, and gives evidence of careful and
ludicious observation. The second part of
the book is made up Of Opinions and re-
nections suggested to my mind by what had
observed" Mr.. Harrison's Opinions and
reflections" are in the main just. At any
rate they show acumen and good Judgment.
| They are the opinions and reflections of a
man who has made a faithful and intelligent
study OF his subject and knows how to ex-
press himself in good English. Philadel-
phia: Indian Rights Association.)
Life and Times of Jesus, as Related by
Thomas Dikymus. By James Freeman
Clarke. This book was first published In
1881, and the present edition has been en-
iarged and carefully revised. 1t is work of
rare interest and of great value. A vivid
picture is drawn of the world as it was at
the time of Christ's coming, and very clear
Idea of Judaism is given, with the customs
OF the synagogue and temple, the teaching of
Phllo, and the active proselytism of the
Pharisees. Jesus Is portrayed as he must
have appeared to the people of his own day
las "a prophet, full of divine power, yet as
man like themselves" and the great
Teacher is seen through the eyes of sscep-
TIC like Thomas, of liberal conservative
like Nicodemus, a narrow zealot like Ben
Gamlah, man of the world like PLATE, a
jewish Stole" and other. If to some readers
Jesus is made to seem too human and natu-
raj, and to others too supernatural, to the
many he will be brought nearer and seem,
more reel. Obscure passages and tssxs-iS
the Gospels are explained 80 t5e co,,o,,,
sions Of the most rGcent investigations Of
ne ana Ssfefich scholars are given. But
~: Sl adke Says in his preface, mot seeking
TO accept, nor fastening to deny, have left
much as 1 have found it. yelled in obscurity."
The charming style in which the book is
written, and the interesting and reverent
manner in which the subject is treated will
win for 1t many admiring readers. Boston :
Lee 81 Shepard; Portland Loring, Short &
| Harmony
st. Paups Problem and Its Solution. by
Faye Huntington, is dedicated ITO the young
people everywhere banded together in Chris
tian Endeavor The title is rather mislead-
ing, as 1t does not refer to Saint Paul him
self, but to church bearing his name. The
story is pleasantly written, but extremely
evangelical In tone and doctrine. 1t turns
entirely upon the failure of one system, and
the success Of another in building up a
church and bringing into it the young people.
The first system was that of attracting them
| by entertainments, of rather a secular char
acter; but the operettas, cantatas, etc., took
SO much time that none was left for the
prayer meetings. Finally, f. E. Clark, of
Portland, Maine. was inspired to form
Young Peoples Society Of Christian En-
deavor," which was adopted by St Paul's
Church with most remarkable results. To
the advanced thinker the authors views may
seem narrow, but it is to be hoped there are
stlll lew young people who are interested
In the old fashioned forms of Christianity.
and can hold simple faith without casus-
try. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell g. Co. !:
Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony
Tragic Mystery. From The Diary of In
spector Byrnes, is the first of series of de-
tective stories which Mr.. Julian Hawthorne
has projected, and which promise to be very
entertaining If this one is fair sample. This
sort OF novel is perhaps popular with larg-
or class OF readers than any other. Instance
the enormous sale of the works of Gaboreau,
but they especially fascinate the boys, the
very creatures who should not read them.
Too intimate knowledge of crime is not de-
sirable for anybody, and why should not
boy Of uncertain tendencies be as DESTROYS of
committing misdeeds for the sake of outwit-
ting the detective as to wish to be the detec-
tive in order to catch the criminal At least
1t is touching PITCH" and we wish Mr..
Hawthorne could make as much money
(since he tells us it is for that he writes) in
some other way, and that higher and purer
grade Of literature were equally remunera-
tive. A Tragic Mystery is good of its kind.
The book Is clever, well written and absorb
ing, and viii doubtlesst extremely popular.
New York: Cassell & Co.. Portland: Lor-
ing, Short & Harmony
The poets of America are not eminently
successful in the Ters de Societe, although
theyi have lighter touch than any po-
cts but those of France. Mr. Ernest De-
Lancey Pierson has prepared pretty vol
ume with fascinating Cupid perched upon
the cover all ready to shoot-but he does not
always hit the mark. We do not wish to at
tack the poets whose names present bril-
liant array in the table of contents, but sim
ply doubt their skill in this special form of
verse. 1t strikes us as odd that two of the
best specimens extant-Bret Harte's "His
Letter" and Her Answer"-should have
been left out of the collection. The most
successful things in the volume are Bessie
Chambers verses To Mrs. Carlyle, The
Stork's Jerimiad. and Helen Gray Cones
Ballad of Cassandra Brown. Nearly all the
other verses just miss the light and airy way
of putting the thing, so that many funny and
bright fancies are weighted down by forms.
New York. Reniamin e, Bell. Portland.